1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to appliance securing members and more particularly pertains to a new appliance securing member for selectively securing an appliance to a wall, to prevent the tipping of the appliance.
2. Description of the Background Art
The use of appliance securing members is known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,525 describes a pair of brackets, one attached to the appliance and one to a wall, which brackets are coupled together to prevent tipping of the appliance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,948 describes a bracket which is attached to an appliance, a wall and a floor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,813 includes a bracket which is attached to the floor for anchoring the rear feet of an oven.
While these devices do assist in the securing of an appliance to a surface, with the intent of securing the appliance in place, one skilled in the art will recognize that there remains a need for a securing device which permits more flexibility in the positioning of the appliance, and which provides better support when the appliance is a heavy appliance which is inclined to tip over. In addition, when there is a possibility of earthquake at the location where the appliance is being used, it becomes critical that the appliance securing device handle the load which may be applied to the securing device in the event of an earthquake.
The anti-tip devices described above are disabled if the appliance slides away from the wall approximately 2.5-3″. This could easily occur in the event of an earthquake or if the range was moved accidentally, leaving the appliance vulnerable to a tip-over. Our device will not allow this to occur, unless it is manually released using the quick-release method during service, replacement or emergency removal.